Thursday, April 19, 2012

Medication Doesn't Enhance CBT Results in ADHD Patients

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, but adding medication doesn't enhance the results of CBT in patients with ADHD. That's the conclusion of University of British Columbia researchers published online April 5 in BMC Psychiatry. Their study was a secondary analysis comparing 23 participants randomized to CBT plus dextroamphetamine with 25 participants randomized to CBT plus placebo. Both groups showed robust improvement in symptoms and functioning, but the use of medication did not significantly improve the outcome over and above use of CBT and placebo. Their results, said the researchers, suggest that CBT can be effective in adults with ADHD, even in patients who are not able to use stimulants.

Recent research suggests that some adults with ADHD have an additional component of the disorder known as deficient emotional self-regulation (DESR), which is possibly a distinct familial subtype or variant of ADHD. For more information on this, see Psychiatric News, here.

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